Cool Stuff

Sunday, July 31, 2011

I'm joining up over at Heartfelt Homeschooling for Slim Down Sunday as an accountability for my weight/health program.

Here's my week: I have been under some stress and stuff going on, and it's been difficult NOT to want to EAT DOWN the house~but I've not done it; however, I did find my plate becoming fuller with higher calorie foods than I KNOW will do what I need it to do which is create a slow weight release and keep my nutrition in balance~Sooooo I have back down those amounts again to something near reasonable and increased my veggie consumption again. Having good FRESH garden grown cucumbers picked right from the patch is such a help too! Also my fave grocery had celery 99 cents a bunch! WHOOHOO! What's NOT to LIKE about that?? (Unless, of course...you *hate* LOL..celery!) ...LOL...

Okay, so I'm still on the exercise restriction, BUT I did go to the lake with my family on Thursday and swam two hours in the BAKING HOT HOT HOT sun..to get cooked with a nasty sunburn~OUCH! But sooo far, I'm not blistering or looking like I might~I'm a big believer in aloe vera so that $3 gel was a good deal at Dollar General, huh??? LOL....I've been slathering that stuff on liberally! Also I have continued my level of activity~but nothing strenuous...just...STRESSuous...LOL...but I'm working on giving this to the Lord. Only HE can fix it...only HE...

I won't be at the doc for a few mo weeks, so we shall have to wait to see how my weigh in is coming along...THIS IS A GOOD plan for me b/c I am not NOT not scale 'obsessed' but in fact, I do deal more with a phobia...HOWEVER, the SCALE IS NOT the measure of my success~it's every bite that goes into my mouth. Today, I did not eat at our church social where there would be foods triggering me into overeating. I did eat a Subway sub though that was fixed like I needed it to be for my health. Also yesterday I celebrated 10 mos of NO WHITE sugars or flours in my diet...Praise the Lord!

Thanks for stopping by~Are you addressing your health? Don't wait too long like I have until it's a HUGE mountain to climb~whatcha gonna do?? Won't you join me??

CK HIM OUT~Anybody besides this (ole rocker) Christian Mama think he looks a wee bit like Elvis??? HUH??? You will so love his sound and his uplifting message~GOT TEENS? Pass this one..NO! WAIT...KEEP IT for yourself Moms...LET the KIDS enjoy it W/YOU!!

AND THE BESTEST NEWSSSSSSSSSS???

ENTER UP for your OWN COPY~FREE! Leave me a message~1 entry...grab my button 2 entries...OR if you aren't MY friend..and BECOME ONE~3 entries...(BE SURE to leave your comments with each entry!)

Hugs
SisterT

Contest will END 7/31/11 11:59PM EST...woot!! Thanks so much!!

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Monday, July 25, 2011

I am maxed out right now with all kinds of stressors. My dryer is putting 'black marks' on our clothes and a whole slew of other struggles, but mostly I'm eaten up with indecision about some important things in my life...

One friend has essentially left her blogging life behind, and I so get that~I am struggling with WHAT to say to you all...even on a very infrequent basis right now. Have I said ALLL I need to say or have a voice to say? I do know that my life is rapidly changing, and my interests are following in quick pursuit! Soo the bigger question is~
WHAT DO I have to contribute to you all on this blog? AM I WORTH reading and being kept up with?

Let's get REAL~not much~ I'm guessing...and prob not. So what purpose will my blog serve YOU and me?

Can I preserve this medium for the occasional review now that we're not traditionally homeschooling and should I have something pertinent to say? Or should I just consider this adventure done and over, moving on to different but less 'virtual' activities in my life? I can't even find myself purging the old texts/homeschooling books of these past several years right now...

I'm in OVERLOAD...my life is changing so fast that my head is spinning...Oh I know it's an age and a stage of life, but it's NO fun~mostly, no fun...and I don't think I can even stand to tare out the WALL to fix the dryer by plumbing for the new one~just can't hardly *think* of the mess this will create in my life and the amount of work involved...knowing hub is not able to finish it in one fowl swoop (have I EVER said HOW MUCH I hate UNFINISHED projects???)...oh brother! I definitely need a dryer, but in Summer, the clothesline is preferred by me anyway~FOR COST...uh...when in doubt...

DON'T.

Hub's in no mood to hear me on this either, but I am so way worn out...

What about attacking this MESS in a few weeks when he can dedicate the time to FINISH~also, DO IT RIGHT??

Thanks for listening to me vent this morning~What are you up to these days? Getting ready for back to school? What does THAT look like in your household? Let me know you came by! ;-))
SisterT

Sunday, July 24, 2011

I'm still on my health path since last year with 75 PLUS pounds GONE! PTL! I haven't weighed in a few weeks so I don't know my progress as of late, but I'm still 'shrinking' so I feel confident the scale will reflect a conservative weight release. I'm so thankful!

One thing going on is that all kinds of ppl who know me are noticing that I'm shrinking. It makes me feel good, but I also don't want to become complacent so that I CELEBRATE sooo big that I eat over it...FOOD IS NOT my celebration any longer! But I am enjoying that my body is becoming more healthy...it's all good!

My choices this week are something I consider very important when it comes to my food. It's not just the amount of calories, but the kinds and combinations that I am working with to find the path to health. For me, I'm eating over 2K calories a day which is just low enough to cause about a 1-2lb weight loss per week, and also I eat no white flour or sugars...AT ALL and have done this now for almost 10 months...PTL! Also I am eating more fresh (from the garden!! woot!!) healthy foods leaving off most breads and pastas..(all white pasta is a NO NO!) I have picked up more protein in my diet as it builds muscle and does not turn to sugar to increase the blood sugar/insulin response in the body...it's generally VERY lean protein as I eat NO pork or pork products...generally no hot dogs or link sausages UNLESS they are the (expensive) healthy ones~and only occasionally. Much of what I am eating is very very balanced. I eat fruit (generally fresh), just 1 sometimes 2 servings per meal and if I get that second one it~it's not eaten at the following meal...

I KNOW it should be more...we even distill our water ourselves and have a water cooler with the jugs of our distilled water...I just don't...LOL...

But then I'm also researching food and my choices~
Here's the Spark People diabetic info on food: Eating Well With Type 2 Diabets
I am now a brand new diabetic who is controlling my blood sugars with diet and also one medication per day...it's my prayer that I can come off of it at some point and find myself living a healthier lifestyle...

EXERCISE:
The doctor as told me to hold off and do nothing stressful as of late. I am hoping for a clearance to hit the gym with a trainer soon!! (I am in process for having medical testing so hopefully I will know pretty quick!)

As for eating out:

I am a big time believer in eating a HOME, which is a HUGE behavior mod thing for me. In the past, it was an EVENT, PARTY, CELEBRATION and all kinds of LIFE to hit the restaurants~but no mo! Today, I prefer
my OWN FOOD to that of the restaurant chef, but there are times I find it essential to eat out b/c of time constraints and travel...soo where do I eat??

I like Subway. You can find one in almost any community AND they're consistently GOOD~my fave is the veggie 6" whole wheat sub. I eat ALL the veggies except the dill pickles, jalapeneos, spinnich, and green peppers~I usually get EXTRA CHEESE! I like pepper jack! I also like the roast turkey. On occasion, I will order the apple slices with water.

IF NO SUBWAY, I like Arby's. Arby's has Market Fresh bread which is the nut grain bread and soo good. They also NOW have a whole grain wrap which is DIVINE!! REMEMBER: I haven't had sugar in MONTHS, so these things are soo good to me!! But what I like to get is the Market Fresh UNTOASTED roast turkey sandwhich (hold the honey mustard) w/mayo only and the fixings just like it comes...OR OR OR...the chicken salad wrap~oh my goodness! THIS IS DIVINE!! The chicken salad has apple, walnuts, mayo, celery, mayo and chicken. YUM!! and the wrap with dark green curly leaf lettuce on that wrap! Oh my! AND there's loads of protein along with veggies and FRUIT~they make it daily...I LIKE that~and feel it's pretty healthy!! I tried a beef sandwhich in the wrap and didn't like it as much...

CHINESE~We have ONE oriental restaurant we like to go to that has a Mongolian Grill~it's the REASON we go there...the BAR stuff MOSTLY has sugar or pork~also white flour products...I don't do any of these, but I can pick out some DIVINE fresh food and have it lightly cooked, and it's so good! I also make up my own sauce with soysauce, garlic and red pepper paste which is very good~and has no sugars like the premade 'brown sauce.'

You might ask me HOW I know it all has sugar?? Well, after NOT eating it~and being GLAD b/c I feel so much better NOT eating it~I can taste it...I know what mushrooms in brown sauce taste like when I KNOW every ingredient..and they aren't supposed to have a sweetness, but the ones on the buffet DO...sooo...TASTE can tell me OR if IN DOUBT, I don't...

Okay, I'm in for the LONG HAUL~ THIS IS A LIFESTYLE change. I am so thankful to God for showing me how to live and nourish my body. I pray to continue as He gives me the ability.

Thanks for coming by~I'm looking at this next week and praying I can get moving a little bit more...Are you working on your health?? Where are you with it?? Any progress??
hugs
SisterT

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

HOW in the world CAN I do such a long term thing in my life as losing so much weight and LITERALLY revamping my life? It's NOT easy, but in breaking it down to itty bitty baby steps and staying motivated, I am making more progress than I've ever dreamed. You see, morbid obesity is like a huge mill stone tied ever so tightly around my neck and for many with this like me, escape is nearly impossible~but REMEMBER I've said, nearly...NOT totally. It IS possible. It is...I have to believe this!

I have loads of obstacles, too. Just like anybody I have STUFF that comes up and washes over my resolve, and removes me from my ACTION in a moments time...but does it effect my progress? NO. Why? Because I NEVER allow that stuff to change my firmly established good routines that so far have continued to 'work for me' this past year. Believe me, I had to establish routines to support my NEW healthy eating amounts, kinds and times of food. Routines that without them, I'd be facing continued failures along the path of this DREAM for a revamped LIFE....

My routines have definitely changed. For one, I eat breakfast EVERYDAY unless there is medical reasoning such as a procedure or test that I am undergoing...and then I just arrange IF I CAN to have three meals a little delayed~as the body, MINE INCLUDED, is jump started with a routine of nutrition and available sources of energy~yeah, this is WHAT FOOD IS anyway~ENERGY! Nothing more, and nothing less. To chase this for a second, I've changed my thinking to remind myself a good deal that FOOD IS NOT my friend, comfort, play pal, fun or event...it's simply FUEL...and who parties down at the GAS STATION? Uh....way too many who I've now left behind...and hence my life is changing! Breakfast is very important to me, and I get really hungry and KNOW I need it by the way I feel physically before the appointed usual time.

I eat three balanced meals so that each meal is solidly adding up to include almost something from EVERY food group: protein, milk (usually 60 cal yogurt), fruit and on two of the meals, I have a bread serving or two that NEVER exceed three servings a day. Yesterday, I had one for breakfast and two in the form of a sandwich for lunch and NONE for supper. Today, I am not sure, but for breakfast I will have one as I always do and then it might be one on lunch and supper, or it could be one lunch and none supper. I look at that particular category as pretty flexible and also that it makes my available choices a little broader. I NEVER eat starchy veggies along with actual bread or pasta (always whole grain varieties!) b/c then my carb servings would exceed my limit of three per day. I generally don't eat preprepared box cereal as the carb count is VERY high for the 1/2-1 cup serving...it's not that I don't love the stuff, either! It's totally looking at a limit of generally consuming NO foods that contain more than about 21 carbs per serving...and I am a much bigger eater than just a once cup serving of cereal and 1/2 to 1 cu of milk for THAT amount of carbs..make sense? My breakfast which I have consumed in some variety for now a total of over nine and half months generally consists of eggs or cheese, bread, yogurt and fruit. It's also been comprised of sugar free peanut butter and a slice of bread...I've even allowed myself the pleasure of occasional whole wheat raisin bread as long as sugar is fifth ingredient down...I REALLY READ all those labels now..and KEEP UP with those 'food totals' EVERYDAY as I GO along...no surprises for me...

And I don't let myself get too totally hungry. I eat about 3-6 or 7 hours apart BUT...I am ALWAYS sure to eat generally way before the upper end of that time! Yesterday, it was getting too long and I was beginning to feel bad. I don't like that. It's not good for me either, so I try really hard to avoid this kind of situation. I don't snack~meaning I literally eat three squares a day with NOTHING in between UNLESS I am HONESTLY between a rock and a hard place...and it's about 1-2 times a month where I will have a protein/fruit snack of some kind...usually a piece of FRESH fruit and a serving of protein...I spend three nights a week out late in going to my church OR also another activity, so my supper is often very late on those nights. I leave well before supper time so if I eat on the early side of it, I am famished way before breakfast and in risk of binging or 'snacking' in my vulnerability in the night...nights are risky, so I avoid eating as much as possible after certain times and definitely in certain places...

I eat at my places, either at our counter in the kitchen OR at my place at the dining table. I used to eat in the livingroom and den~NOT anymore. My food is fixed on my plate and carried to either place for my MEAL. I eat and then either leave it for the cleanup by my son or daughter who I'm thankful handle this chore almost daily OR I carry the dishes back and leave them after ALL food has been put away~I'm a "POT PICKER" and to avoid this behavior relieves me of dealing in loads of EXTRA calories that I am NOT working diligently to get rid of~FOREVER!

When I leave the kitchen or food storage areas which are in our home, our kitchen and then we have a pantry area in our basement, I LEAVE THEM...til breakfast. SOMETIMES I feel a pull to go back mentally and emotionally, but I busy myself in my den or if it's time to go to bed, I go there...I will use that feeling too to drink water or other healthful beverage~NEVER sugary stuff...b/c I have placed that item in the den or bedside. I NEVER drink juice b/c it's totally a FAST SHOT of sugar that has little fiber and drives UP blood sugars...I don't need FAST, but rather the fiber of fresh whole fruit metabolize on the slow...and make for more consistent energy...I NEED that...in so many ways....

So change has been something that as I've gone along, has helped me to stay motivated in my efforts...sometimes my 'results' are elusive...I don't weigh daily or even once a week. I don't need anything to pull my attention OFF the process and plan. I must stay focused on the every BITE concerns and counts, rather than the eventual goals of normal weight numbers and improved health~these are just BY PRODUCTS of my solid healthy eating that will be consistent over the long haul...and this is the secret~or just a key, b/c the REAL secret is my spiritual journey.

The Lord has sustained me in all sorts of situations where I consciously refrain from turning into the food for my life~all those things food can be that brink on the negativity to destroy me. FOOD MUST stay in it's rightful place in my life...and I don't tolerate it rearing up it's ugly head to try to move into more prominence. NO WAY! I refuse to allow people or events to change what's working...no tossing about like a ship tossed in a storm...I believe with God's help, I must stay firmly affixed to the task of making sure that I am nourished properly each and every time...no changes here, for me.

I don't allow myself BREAKS from my food plan. I stay with it, no matter the reason OR the season. Birthdays, holidays, events, celebrations,...or whatever...NO MATTER. FOOD IS FUEL and nothing more! I really don't even desire 'special' foods on these days, but truly desire the solid stable routines I've established. Unfortunately I have ppl in my life that without FOOD celebrations would and do feel LACKING...they don't feel the GREAT way I do b/c they consistently change from no or little sugars to gobs of sugars and so their metabolism is constantly under attack...not so for me...after deciding over 9 mos ago to give up the toxins of over processed sugars or fast metabolizing sugars and starches, I FEEL GREAT! Albeit that right now it's way way to early in the morning for breakfast and b/c I'm awake, my 'guts are growly!' LOL...oh boy, better wrap this up and drift back off to a more acceptable time near my routine. Falling asleep in my recliner has its challenges too.

I also attept every night to GO to bed and also go at a reasonable time. . . THIS IS ANOTHER change for me...I could go on and on...but I will go on now, and get myself settled back down for a few more zzz's ...it's way too early...LOL...

HOW do you stay on the course long term? Are you? GOT changes you need to make? I'm still praying over mine...and I am 'evolving' all the time! Give me a shout out!
SisterT ;-))

I don't know WHY I've been fighting this...in fact, I can't really say I've been doing that much b/c my life is so full of the oldie but goodie kinds of things! The younger ppl now call me, "OLD SCHOOL" LOL...and that's fine with me. I am OLD SCHOOL...even to the point of homeschooling the ole schooling way~and it worked for generations as well as it has worked for mine~PTL! But, my taste is ole too...I love the old, used, vintage, rough, rugged, and repurposed. Lord knows, I'd never know HOW to shop a mall~have never been in ours and my trips to the local 'wally world' average about 3-4 a year..I know, I know...but what do I do you might be asking? I shop the 'secondary market' for most of what I want, and I have some other thrifty places where I buy the bulk of our food~plus we grow a good bit of it too...soo ya see, I have no need or little need to go 'there.' LOL...

Okay, so I will post up a few pics today~one in particular is for a bloggy bud who is into vintage and has a frame she's trying to repurpose~Ck out her post and pic here ! I thought she'd like to see what I've done with an ole frame and some needle art as well as show you all too~I'm pretty proud of my garage sale FIND and how with some board mount charges from Hobby Lobby~yeah, I could have done this myself, but I have tried mounting (stretching and affixing to a 'board') myself to have it come out pretty rumpled looking and not so nice...hence that little charge~$20. I also paid FIFTY cents for this piece..and the frame? Add in another dollar from a previous garage sale~I took the pic and mat out as it wasn't all that pretty imho! Total~$21.50 for a pretty piece...and I'm just amazed at all the work some dear soul invested in it~prob 1970s by the colors..but I love it!

What do you think?

Yeah, it's a little 70s, but I love the workmanship and colors! I have loads of the green in my home so this works on a few levels ;-))

Okay, here's a pic frame with a mirror we use in the bathroom~yeah, the bathroom is awful~remember that we are TOTALLY remodeling this ole house...goes with the OLE HOUSE style I have LOL..ya know, REMODELING?? LOL..I guess I'll need a new HOBBY once all the house is done...LOL...but you know, it's such a while off that I'm just gonna ENJOY while I can LOL!

Soo don't mind where I began peeling the nasty wall paper~DID THAT til hub says, don't do it b/c the WHOLE WALL is coming down LOL! so hey, why waste my energy?? LOL!

Also a new pic from last night of where we're busting out old narrrrrly stairs in front and planning new siding!

Stairs and the TWO front doors you see are GOING AWAY~there's the TRUE front door on the side of the enclosed mud room that you can't see from this view~it's staying! LOL...Don't NEED three front doors! LOL...Okay, so you see, WE ARE a work in progress!

Friday, July 1, 2011

I'm striving and surviving! Today I went to the docs to ck up past the ER stop of last week~(chest pain on interstate is NO fun!) and well, first off~my vitals are great! I've undergone some medication adjustments this week...my wt loss (I hope this IS why) has necessitated a reduction in medications for my heart. Also I weighed today~remember SisterT doesn't weigh weekly or daily but when I have doc appts~so I am down 9lbs for a total of 75#s in a little over a year. My progress is steady and sure~I'm on NO gimmicky stuff. It's a sound low carb food plan. Enter the new dx of diabetes and you find that giving up white flour and sugars is so so wise! It's been over 9 mo since I've done that~in fact, tomorrow adds another week to those already WONDERFUL weeks! I'm not missing it either! Foods that ppl who each sugar are found NOT to be sweet are truly good and sweet to me! THIS IS a huge miracle in my life. For once, I can believe~I am coming to believe that GOD CAN restore me...ODAT!

I had made an appointment for a trainer to work with me to expedite my wt loss but my cardiologist says to hold off for now. I'm still undergoing tests~the last will be a sleep study...but let me say that my numbers are all very good EXCEPT a slight 6pt increase over the 'bad' cholesterol number...Giving up a few EGG BREAKFASTS each week ought to handle this for me! Also my A1c was PERFECT: 5.5! I'm so blessed.

Okay so as of now, it's forward steam ahead with my food plan and lifestyle changes. God is good! ALL THE TIME~God IS good!
SisterT <3

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I don't know if this is a claimer or disclaimer, but if I understand the announcement from the FTC where blogging is concerned, I need to say a few things about all the things I talk about on my blog. First I want you to know that I like what is here. I either have done research or have personally tried out the website, idea or product I am talking about. Sometimes I get either the product or in some cases, I am an affiliate meaning if you were to purchase by clicking on a link from my site, I receive a monetary compensation. In the past, I was only a reviewer and received products for my opinions on it, but often I would also find things that I had not received and passed along! So ALL my opinions are not compensated, nor are they going to be~but you can rest assured, if I don't like it~it's not getting on my blog! This is my promise to you! SisterTipster 10-06-09